Cool brand set for capital launch

As entertainment goes, it's hard to beat a good sunset, particularly to a backdrop of ambient lounge music.

The Ibiza chill-out lounge Café del Mar capitalised on this enduring philosophy to find a niche of its own nearly 30 years ago – and has since spawned a legion of imitators.

But an Abu Dhabi branch of the famous venue is part of an attempt in recent years to wrestle back some of that market share as the brand expands around the world. Café del Mar properties have opened in other parts of Spain as well as in Singapore and in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

Designed by Catalán architect, Lluis Güell, the original Café del Mar (freely translated as "café by the ocean") opened in 1980 in Sant Antoni de Portmany on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza.

Its signature sound proved popular with the bohemian set and by the late eighties, collections of the music played at the café were being sold on cassette. In 1994, it released the first Café del Mar CD, whose success has led to some 30 albums.

The UAE venue is to be sited at the Nurai island community, currently being constructed off the emirate's coast by boutique property developer Zaya.

"Nurai was conceptualised after extensive research into the tastes, inclinations and desires of high-net worth, cosmopolitan clientele and Café del Mar was found to be a popular brand among our globe-trotting clients and one that already possessed a great reputation," Zaya Chief Executive Officer Nadia Zaal says. "Café del Mar provides the quintessential soundtrack to luxurious island living."

The Abu Dhabi branch is the result of a collaboration with Café del Mar master franchisee Utopia, an offshore Jebel Ali-based entertainment and hospitality management company.

"By adding the element of luxury to a wonderful brand, we're pushing the envelope to offer one of the world's most exclusive sunset lounges in Café del Mar Nurai," CEO?Umesh Amarnani tells Emirates Business.

And he hopes to harness the brand's music label to promote local talent.

The 500-capacity outlet will feature a built-in stage for regional artists to perform live, Amarnani says.

"These performances will be recorded and we can then take that content all over the world through our label Oreole, which is distributed by Café del Mar."

Utopia holds franchise rights for the Middle East, India and South Asia and several Indian Ocean island destinations. Amarnani hopes to open five new outlets over the next two years, with only one to a city.

The new Abu Dhabi venue will open in December 2010, says Zaal, which is when the entire Nurai project is scheduled to be delivered.

Despite the rebranding of such superclubs as Embassy in recent times, Zaal insists the Abu Dhabi market is ready for world-class concepts.

"The city has already become a magnet for the ambitious – attracting high calibre people and professionals from every sphere, who expect to maintain a high standard of living coupled with a focus on quality of life.

"Our aim is to create distinctive developments that deliver high-quality living experiences, which fit in with Abu Dhabi's vision for the future. It's the right time. It's the right place. That's why we're here."

Zaal says the development's client-driven philosophy means the café will have no direct competitors in the UAE.

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